Mars Needs Moms is a
surprisingly heartfelt and moving film about
the importance of family. The trailers and other promotional materials
released
for the film suggested a much weaker one and that was no doubt one of
the
elements that prevented the film from becoming a success in the box
office. The
film was a gigantic box office bomb within the United States and
internationally.
Despite the harsh financial outcomes of this film's release the reality
is that
the film itself is much better than advertised and it is likely going
to be
quite some time before the film manages to receive the kind of
acknowledgements
it most likely deserves.

The
story is
simple but enough to carry the film. Milo (performed by Seth Green
using the
motion capture technology and voiced by Seth Dusky) is a young boy who
doesn't entirely
understand how much he needs his mom (surely he does deep down inside,
but he
doesn't show it). His mother (Joan
Cusack) is kidnapped by aliens and brought to the planet Mars. As it
turns out,
the aliens believe that they need the skills and mindset of earth moms
in order
to raise their infants properly (the tech-made moms are sometimes a bit
faulty it
seems). Milo goes after his mother and manages to follow his mom into
space on
the same spaceship being used to bring her to the planet Mars. Milo's
mission
is to rescue his mom and to return home with her in one piece. That's
essentially the core element of the plot, but a sidekick character
named
Gribble (Dan Fogler) also brings an interesting side-story, and so does
Ki (Elisabeth
Harnois), a female alien of Mars who loves bright rainbow colors (but
has to
rebel against the government of the planet which apparently outlaws all
bright
colors and only likes darkly dim, gloomy tones).

Simon
Wells
is no stranger to animated film-making. His work on other efforts such
as An
American Tail: Fievel Goes West, Balto, and The Prince
of Egypt
are particularly noteworthy. Wells also has the benefit of having
directed
real-life actors as well with his sci-fi thriller The Time Machine
(based on the classic novel by H.G. Wells -- Simon Well's
great-grandfather). Wells
was a wise choice as director of this film (probably by no coincidence
he wrote
the screenplay with his wife Wendy Wells). He brought a passion to the
project
as a film-maker, and the film wouldn't have been as visually inventive
without
him. Unfortunately, as both a director and screenwriter he is guilty of
having
written a character who is rather annoying for a great portion of the
film: Gribble (Dan Fogler) brings too much
unnecessary
humor to the film that never fully plays out the way the film-makers
intended.
When the character is in dramatic-storytelling mode there is a
revelation about
his character that is handled rather well and that actually does help
to
elevate the material and the film is all the better for it. For a great
portion
of the film (even if these moments are spread throughout the film) it
is just a
bit too much and it mostly detracts from an otherwise enjoyable film
than anything
else.

Mars
Needs Moms was an
ambitious production on every level. For
starters, it was a hugely expensive production. Robert Zemeckis'
ImageMovers
Digital was essentially bankrupted and Disney called it quits on the
company. Motion capture technology is
still a
relatively new way of creating animation and capturing performances
using real
actors who wear the outfits necessary to record their performances
before
translating them in to animation is no small attempt at making a movie.
It's
innovative but it comes with its own set of positives and negatives:
increased possibilities
often come with an increased cost.

Seth
Green
brings an impressive motion-capture performance to the screen as Milo
and
really manages to make the story believable when it is being told
through his
eyes. Milo is ultimately a good kid and he just wants to be there for
his mom
in the end. None of this would have been as successful though without
an
impressive performance from Joan Cusack.

The
animation can tend to be a bit hit or miss. The motion capture
technology has
improved over time but it still retains a storybook quality that seems
fitting
for certain films (The Polar Express) but less satisfying when
the
narrative doesn't seem to fit the criteria quite as well. The
background
animation is fully realized though, and it is an immersive world on
mars that
viewers will enjoy being taken to if only to marvel in the technical
wizardry.

The film
never tries to tell a truly complex narrative but it makes up for this
with
thematic relevance. The story actually manages to pull at ones
heartstrings and
the end result is a film that is authentic emotionally and far from
superficial. That is ultimately Mars Needs Moms greatest
strength. It is
a family-made film made for other families to enjoy and cherish
together.

Family
is
important. This review will end on a bit of a sentimental note: The
love a
child has for his or her mother is one of the most powerful things on
this
planet. I know for certain that I would not even be half the man I am
if it
were not for my mother, whom I love and will always love. This film
serves as a
reminder to everyone of just how important a mom can be. After all...
where would
any of us be without our mothers?

The
Blu-ray:

Video:

Mars
Needs Moms arrives on Blu-ray in a stunning
High Definition presentation that rivals the best of the best in
technical
marvels. The 2:40:1 theatrical aspect ratio is preserved on the disc
and it is marvelous
to behold. Colors are often muted in the film but they are of the
upmost
quality. The CGI is ultimately very impressive and the presentations
seem free
of any flaws whatsoever. This is a demo-worthy disc when it comes down
to the
film's PQ.

Note:

The
images featured in this review are
from the DVD release and do not represent the High Definition Blu-ray
picture
quality.

Audio:

The AQ
is equally engaging and it is likely one of
the most sonically rich 7.1 surround sound DTS-HD Master Audio tracks
on the
entire format. This is top-tier audio that accurately and wonderfully
reproduces
every audible element. It's a notable sound-mix that seems quite
complimentary to
the high-end PQ and it sounds amazing for 5.1 systems too. Wonderful!
Audio is
also available in Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital. Subtitles are
included
in Spanish, French, and in English (for the deaf and hard of hearing).

Extras:

The
extras department has decidedly mixed results
(much like the film in some ways). The light extras (at only a few
minutes apiece)
are Martian 101 - a short look at how the film created the
Martian
language. It is an amusing piece that demonstrates how attempts were
made to
actually make the language authentic sounding for each necessary
segment. It's
a fun extra but it would be a big stretch to call it
particularly
informative. The other short bonus feature is entitled Fun With Seth
and
is about what one might expect with that kind of title. It's a short
video
featuring moments of actor Seth Green goofing off while not filming. He
remains
in his motion-capture suit throughout the video. It's a comical
inclusion but
it's over almost as soon as it began.

The
extras become more comprehensive with deleted
scenes (and an extended opening) which bring more insight into the
overall
effort of the production. These are worth watching and director Simon
Wells
offers a video introduction that helps to make sense of what is
included on the
release.

Lastly,
the most notable extra on the entire release
is a feature length commentary featuring a small video screen
in the
corner featuring motion capture footage.This is an interesting and often funny commentary track that
includes
Simon Wells, Seth Green, and Dan Fogler. The group manages to spend a
surprising amount of time juggling comments back and forth between
lighthearted
humor and some serious thoughts on the film. The end result is a
commentary track
that is more comical than informative, but for some that might be just
the right
kind of experience to have. It's easily the highlight of the bonus
materials.

Final
Thoughts:

Mars
Needs Moms isn't a
perfect film but it's far from being the failure
that one might think it is based on its financial failings. This is an
engaging
and emotionally rich work about love and family. Its emotional honesty
makes it
a much more rewarding experience than what any of the trailers
indicate. While
I have a few qualms with the film, the good far outweighs the bad and
this is
one to check out with loved ones. The PQ/AQ is out-of-this-world (pun
intended)
and the extras feature an interesting commentary track that is worth
ones time.